ProVitaMin has proven its worth on farms across Northern Ireland

Ryan McLellum getting his sheep ready with ProVitaMin to sell at Ballymena Mart

Published:08:54Tuesday 22 August 2017

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Farmers across Northern Ireland continue to trust ProVitaMin to help correct deficiencies, improve fertility and growth rates, amongst their flocks.

A small purebred and commercial flock run by Colm and Enda McAleer, in Dungannon, has a nucleus of 20 purebred Suffolk ewes and 40 commercial Suffolk Mule cross and Mules.

In addition to the boluses which they had always used, they tried Provita’s multivitamin mineral drench with copper, ProVitaMin. Ewes were given 10 ml four weeks before tupping and just before lambing. It is also used for flushing and AI to help accelerate flock development and for growing lambs

“Previously, when only using boluses our scan was around 1.7 but after using ProVitaMin a lamb scan of 2.85 was recorded. We were pleasantly surprised by this scan, though with so many triples and quads it was a lot of hard work. Ewes had better milk and lambs were lively and wanted to get up to suck quickly. In the past we found lambs to be a bit dopey but not this year, everything was healthier,” confirmed Colm.

Colin McEldowney, from Slaughtneil uses ProVitaMin on his 300 Lanark Blackfaces. In order to maximise the output achieved from this flock, he uses ProVitaMin on all his ewes to give them a boost in minerals and vitamins at critical times of the year. He drenches all his ewes, a month prior to breeding and then again a month before lambing.

“The first drench helps boost ewe fertility levels while the second acts to increase lamb vitality. I ensure that the ewes selected for AI receive the mineral and vitamin boost. I also drench all the lambs with ProVitaMin prior to weaning. This ensures that growth rates are not reduced, once they are taken off their mothers” Colin explained.

Ryan McLellum uses ProVitaMin on his pedigree Mallaboy Texels in order to give them an added boost before they go off to sale at Ballymena Mart.

“ProVitaMin has helped to improve conception rates amongst the Texels. I give them ProVitaMin just before they are sold, as the minerals and vitamins will to them a lift,” explained Ryan.

ProVitaMin contains a range of chelated minerals, vitamins and 25 trace elements, at an optimal level, in an ultra-concentrated liquid drench form. These will provide breeding ewes with that all important nutritional boost pre-tupping and enhance lamb growth rates post weaning.